KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was on Tuesday informed that mobile phone snatching had increased during the current year as so far 14,051 cell phones were snatched compared to 12,187 in 2013 in Karachi.

The chief minister was presiding over a meeting here at CM House to review law and order situation in the province ahead of a forthcoming meeting of the Sindh apex committee.

Inspector General of Police Dr Kaleem Imam briefed the meeting on police performance with crime statics during the calendar year.

The IGP tells the CM that terrorism, kidnapping for ransom and targeted killing cases decrease

He claimed that the cases of mobile phone snatching had gone up due to registration of FIRs, as in the past the victims were reluctant to register their cases because of poor law and order situation.

The chief minister told the IGP that regardless of any reason the crime must be curbed.

Terrorism, kidnapping for ransom down

The IGP also informed the CM that 61 incidents of terrorism took place in 2013 but in 2018 only two acts of terrorism occurred.

Compared to 509 targeted killings in 2013, the crime had dropped down to 131 in 2018, he said, adding that the cases of kidnapping for ransom also came down from 173 in 2013 to only 12 in 2018.

About snatching of cars and motorcycles, the CM was told that 5,118 two-wheelers and 980 four-wheelers were snatched in 2013, but five years later the number of snatched motorcycles and cars had reduced to 1,892 and 165, respectively.

Mr Shah said that the crime rate had come down because his government had provided maximum facilities to the police and equipped them with latest weapons and training.

He also stressed the need to change the thana (police station) culture and to make police people-friendly.

Crackdown against vehicles on ‘open letter’ ordered

The CM also ordered a crackdown against vehicles plying in the city on open transfer letters as the use of vehicles on such letters was illegal.

The decision to enforce the law strictly was taken when Additional IG of the Special Branch Dr Waliullah Dal informed the CM that the vehicle used by militants in the Chinese consulate general attack was owned by a person who had sold it six years ago and died five years ago, but subsequent owners used the vehicle on open letter.

The CM directed the excise and taxation department to start a crackdown against the vehicles plying in the city on transfer letters.

The chief minister directed the IGP to provide bulletproof jackets to all policemen deployed at important installations, including foreign missions, CM House, Governor House, etc. “They must wear bulletproof jackets,” he said.

Mr Shah also directed Home Secretary Kazi Kabir to finalise compensation for two civilians from Balochistan who were killed in the Chinese consulate attack.

When asked about the treatment of the wounded security guard of the consulate, he was told that the he was being taken care of.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2018